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By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL. Oct 27 : Team Meitei Personalities Manipur (TMP Manipur) and Meitei Alliance Trust have filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking judicial intervention to ensure safe, free and non-discriminatory movement of people, passengers, goods and essential supplies along National Highways in Manipur.
The petition names the State of Manipur, the Union of India through the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) as respondents. It seeks comprehensive directions to prevent unlawful highway blockades, address extortion and unauthorised collections from highway users, and establish an effective mechanism to protect vital transport routes.
The petitioners have urged the Court to ensure that access to National Highways is not restricted on the basis of ethnicity, community, residence, origin or destination. They have also sought directions against the unlawful obstruction or control of highway passage in the name of bandhs, economic blockades, protests or agitations, while preserving the lawful exercise of the right to peaceful protest.
Through the PIL, TMP Manipur and Meitei Alliance Trust have sought a coordinated and accountable institutional response to highway disruptions, including preventive measures, effective complaint mechanisms, lawful enforcement and periodic judicial monitoring.
The petitioners have requested such further orders as the Supreme Court may consider appropriate in the interests of equal and safe public access to National Highways in Manipur.
The filing of the petition does not, by itself, establish that the Supreme Court has admitted it or issued any directions. Any subsequent proceedings or orders should be reported separately.
Demand for a coordinated highway protection plan
A key prayer in the petition is for the Union and State governments, in consultation with highway administrations and security agencies, to prepare and implement a coordinated highway protection and free-movement plan within a timeframe fixed by the Court.
The proposed plan would identify vulnerable stretches, locations affected by recurring blockades and alleged extortion, establish response protocols, and provide alternative arrangements during disruptions.
The petition also sought adequate and impartial security on vulnerable stretches, with the deployment of personnel to be determined by the competent authorities in accordance with law.
Action against extortion and unauthorised collections
The petition calls for action against the unauthorised collection of money, purported taxes, tolls, fees and compulsory contributions from highway users.
It seeks appropriate legal action against offences involving intimidation, coercion, violence and extortion associated with such collections. The petitioners have also requested a publicly designated, 24-hour reporting channel and nodal officers to receive complaints concerning blockades, threats, extortion and unlawful collections.
The proposed mechanism would facilitate prompt complaint registration, response and referral for investigation, alongside safeguards for the identity and safety of complainants and witnesses.
The petition further seeks prompt registration, investigation and prosecution of offences involving unlawful obstruction, extortion, wrongful restraint, intimidation, assault and damage to property, wherever warranted by the evidence and applicable law. It also calls for investigations into individuals alleged to have organised, financed, directed or enforced such conduct, subject to due process.
Action against unauthorised structures on highway land
Another significant prayer concerns alleged unauthorised occupations, hoardings, gates, barriers, checkpoints, collection booths and similar structures on National Highway land in Manipur.
The petitioners have asked the competent authorities to survey and document such structures and take appropriate action for their removal in accordance with the Control of National Highways (Land and Traffic) Act, 2002, and other applicable laws.
The petition also seeks measures to prevent private persons or organisations from establishing or operating unauthorised gates, barriers, checkpoints or toll points on National Highways.
Alternative connectivity and institutional accountability
The petition seeks a status report from the Union and State governments on practical alternative road access and resilient transport connectivity during highway disruptions, including the status of relevant ongoing connectivity projects.
It also asks the authorities to maintain consolidated records of blockades, their duration, complaints, criminal cases, extortion reports, unauthorised structures and action taken, with periodic status reports to the Court.
Among the additional reliefs sought are the appointment of a Court Commission to coordinate with concerned authorities and facilitate judicial oversight of measures undertaken to secure the movement of passengers and goods. The petitioners have also sought the establishment of a Special Court for the expeditious trial of highway-related offences, subject to the Court’s consideration of the applicable legal framework.
Highway access as a public interest issue
The petition places highway access within the broader framework of public safety, freedom of movement, access to essential commodities and the rule of law. National Highways are critical transport links for Manipur, supporting the movement of food, medicines, fuel, commercial goods and emergency services.